Person
Spate, Andrew Phillip (Andy)
AM
- Occupation
- Cave explorer, Karst area manager and Spelaeologist
Summary
Andy Spate is an expert on cave and karst management. For over 20 years he held senior positions with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service which involved management of karst and water resources. He produced management plans for the NSW cave systems, including for the Coolemans Plains Karst Area, and invertebrate surveys of NSW caves. From 2002 to 2021 he was CEO of the consultancy, Optimal Karst Management. His expertise has led to his involvement in court cases and research projects across Australia. Spate began caving when he surveyed the Wee Jasper cave with Joe Jennings. He has been active in the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association (ASKMA), including two terms as President, and the Australian Speleological Federation. "Andy sez" is a regular column in the ASKMA newsletter.
Details
Chronology
- 1964 - 1965
- Career position - Laboratory Assistant, Botany Department, Australian National University
- 1966 - 1967
- Career position - Technical Officer, Biochemistry department, University of Melbourne
- 1972
- Education - BAppSc, Canberra College of Advanced Education
- 1972 - 1981
- Career position - Experimental Officer, CSIRO Division of Land Use Research
- 1978 - 1988
- Career position - Vice-President, Australian Speleological Federation
- 1981 - 2002
- Career position - Karst manager, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
- 1984 - 1994
- Award - Fellow, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 1986 -
- Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Speleological Federation
- 1987 - 1991
- Career position - Vice President, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 1991 - 1995
- Career position - President, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 1994 - 1998
- Award - Honorary Fellow, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 1995 - 9998
- Career position - Executive Officer, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 1998 -
- Award - Life Member, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 1998 - 2005
- Career position - Scientific Officer, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 2002 - 2021
- Career position - CEO, Optimal Karst Management
- 2005 -
- Career position - International Affairs Officer, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 2011
- Career position - Member, Karst and Cave Protection Commission, International Union of Speleology
- 2018 - 2020
- Career position - President, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association
- 2019
- Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to conservation, particularly to caves and karsts
- 2022
- Career position - Member, National Geoscience Strategy International Geotourism Excellence Working Group, Geoscience Council of Australia
Related entries
Published resources
Book Sections
- Spate, Andy, 'Jennings, Joseph Newell (1916-1984), Geomorphologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 17: 1981 - 1990 A-K, Diane Langmore, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2007), pp. 588-589. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jennings-joseph-newell-joe-531. Details
Journal Articles
- Henderson, Kent and Spate, Andy, ' Andy Spate 'retires'', Journal of the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association, 47 (2002), 12-5, https://ackma.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/andy-sez/as42.pdf. Details
- Spate, A.; and Gillieson, D., 'Joe Jennings', Helictite, 22 (1984), 35-42. Details
- Spate, O. H. K.; and Spate, A. P., 'Obituary: Joseph Newell Jennings 1916-1984', Australian Geographical Studies, 23 (2) (1985), 325. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 5 March 2026